Opening up the Word

2 Kings 23:1-7

1. How did the people respond to the reading of Scripture?

After hearing the Word of God, the king renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD -to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

The king ordered high priest to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts by burning them.

He did away with the pagan priests appointed—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.

He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people.

He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes, which were in the temple of the LORD and where women did weaving for Asherah.

2 Kings 23:21-25

2. How did Josiah inspire both holiness and celebration?

Josiah not only told everyone to celebrate the passover to the Lord, but also got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things.

This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the LORD.

Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.